Birch Bistro

Had a great dinner, excellent place in the central Daks for a nice dinner date! Highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Had a wonderful dinner with my boyfriend, spur of the moment glad we found this gem! Menu really interesting, but also with plenty of light, casyal fare. Fresh and delicious! Split the wings, soup, salmon BLT and brownie sundae for dessert. Already planning a stay in March, with definite plans to dine here agin! Kelley, our server, is top notch!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Its a cute place. I hope u want to go to ur room and to bed early though.

Food was absolutely amazing and top notch. Love the atmosphere and environment, our waiter Kelly was off the charts outstanding and he did a great job! Will definitely be back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great service in a beautiful place! Thank you!

Food was outstanding.

I proposed to my girlfriend at the Friends Lake Inn this past weekend. The entire experience at this small intimate lodge was absolutely wonderful. We stayed in the Saranac Lake room. If you are a fan of quiet and romantic and like the Adirondack style, you will love that room. The pictures online don't do it justice. The steam shower and gas fireplace in the room were fantastic and the bed was very comfy. We had dinner in the restaurant the first evening and breakfast both mornings. The food was consistently excellent, especially the spicy tomato soup which I want the recipe for! Thank you Friends Lake Inn for a wonderful stay. I hope to be back sometime for an anniversary. -Josh and Jordan

My husband and I had a great couple of nights thanks to the beautiful room Missy at the front desk recommended - Great Lakes Room. This room was just what we were looking for - bright, fireplace and a deck where we could see and hear the lake and waterfall. It was nice to have our room refreshed each day as many hotels are still not providing daily maid service. At Breakfast we were greeted by Kim who was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. The food was excellent - homemade ketchup and 3-berry chutney! We had dinner at the Birch Room and Allison our bartender/waitress was excellent! She was outgoing, a good multitasker and a delight to chat with! The food and drinks were delicious. We had the filet mignon and strip steak. At breakfast Kim had told us she made all the desserts so we had to try two - pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate cake. Both were great! While at dinner Missy checked in with us to see how our stay was going. She stayed and chatted with us for a while before she left for the night. Overall we had a great time and feel the staff made all the difference to make our stay so memorable!

I found everything there pleasantly warm and cozy. I loved the breakfast pumpkin pancakes They were awesome, thin like crepes, Delicious. The salmon and risotto dinner dish was delicious as well. We also like the fried calamari appetizer. Friendly and helpful staff definitely a must I highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The room was quiet and spacious with a really comfy bed ( we brought ouf own feather pillows). The staff was friendly and helpful and food first class. We are vegetarians. There were two options both unique and delicious. Terrific breakfast was included with homemade muffins. We used the trails and the game room. 2 days felt like a week away.

We loved our stay here! We like to stay midweek. It is very serene and peaceful. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Breakfast is excellent! We have not had an opportunity to try dinner here as we do not stay on weekends, however I am sure the quality is just as exceptional as breakfast. We look forward to our next stay!

The most impressive part of the visit was the people who work there. The food was excellent and every employee knew their job. The only drawback was the 3 story climb to get to the room. The hotel is somewhat dated and could stand an upgrade, but this is a minor observation. Overall the experience was great.

Do “rustic” and “pampered” contradict each other? Not at Friends Lake Inn. The Adirondack decor and secluded setting tell you you’re out in the wilds, but the room amenities, indulgent dining, and super-friendly staff will make you feel like royalty. We stayed in the Mirror Lake room, featuring a fireplace, private entrance, and deck. The recently redecorated Adirondack dining room was also a highlight, with hand painted murals gracing the walls. The winter salad, filet mignon, salmon and risotto, pumpkin turtle cheesecake, and hazelnut crème brûlée were all scrumptious. Best of all, the atmosphere is laid back and every staffer we met did everything in their power to assure that we enjoyed our stay. We will be back!

The beauty of the Inn and location is only surpassed by the quality of the staff. I could not recommend the Friendship Lake Inn enough. The room was gorgeous as were the facilities. The food too was excellent and though I did not try their lunch baskets I did think that was a really special offer that no one should pass up. The included breakfast was generous and better then expected compared to other hotels or B&Bs. So If you are looking for a wonderful time in a beautiful Inn, in a lovely location with excellent food and the best staff I have seen then the Friendship Lake Inn should be your next visit.

We stayed at Friends Lake Inn for 6 nights recently while on vacation in the Adirondacks. We stayed in the cabin because rooms at the inn were not available all nights. The cabin was clean, spacious, and comfortable. We especially enjoyed the screened-in porch. Staff at the inn were helpful and gracious at all times-- from Jeff the Manager to Betty, Betsy, Julie, Missy at the front desk, folks in the restaurant (whose names I forget-- sorry!), and housekeeping staff-- Elizabeth among them. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and the ability to get to surrounding area activities easily. The only minor improvement would be more space to hang clothes, and more racks and hooks in the bathroom. The restaurant is known in the area for its cuisine, and it's easy to see why. We enjoyed 3 dinners in the hotel which were carefully prepared. We would absolutely return.